04/18/2023 | ACPS Automotive focuses on growth in Asia: New location opened in Shanghai
ACPS Automotive, the market leader in towbars for cars, SUVs and vans in Europe and a global player, is expanding its presence to Asia and is celebrating the official opening of its sales and development site in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China, on 18 April.
As a technology leader, the company plans to strengthen existing business contacts in China and acquire new customers. The new location in Shanghai will serve as a sales and development site and marks an important step in the company's global expansion. "ACPS Automotive considers China to be a key market, as many of the company's customers are based in this region. For this reason, it is of great importance to have a local presence," says Thorsten Thomassen Vice President Original Equipment, who is in charge of Sales, Research & Development and Project Management at ACPS Automotive and in this function is responsible for direct cooperation with national and international car manufacturers.
"The new office in Shanghai will be an important location advantage to quickly expand contacts with car manufacturers and attract highly qualified specialists," Thomassen continues. "Our market entry in China is based on the changing needs of many Chinese customers and new legal regulations that have applied to trailer operation of automobiles since last year," he adds.
ACPS Automotive is focused on supplying car manufacturers who equip their vehicles with towbars for export to Europe and North America. "Our office in Shanghai will help us maintain existing business relationships and attract new customers," explains Yongxin Quan, Managing Director Oris Automotive Systems (Shanghai) Ltd. “In addition, we offer the towbar as an accessory for the local Chinese market.”
The new location will operate under the name "Oris Automotive Systems (Shanghai) Ltd" and will be staffed with local sales and development experts. ACPS Automotive sees China as an important driver for its European business and expects significant stimulus for its global activities. "China is a huge market with high technological standards and an impressive pace of innovation," says Dirk Recker, Director of Research & Development at ACPS Automotive.
"Here in Europe, we have achieved the market leader position and work with virtually all vehicle manufacturers. We see enormous potential in China, not only in sales, but also in research and development. That is why, in addition to the sales division, we are also setting up a development team at our site in Shanghai. The main thing here is to be close to the customers and to be able to follow the speed of development and shape it," Thomassen continues.
"We are looking forward to bringing our knowledge and experience to the Chinese market and to strengthening our development activities locally. This will enable us to develop even more innovative products that meet the needs of customers in China and Asia," summarises Dirk Recker.
Picture caption
Thorsten Thomassen – Vice President Original Equipment at ACPS Automotive – and Yongxin Quan – Managing Director Oris Automotive Systems (Shanghai) Ltd. – officially open the ACPS Automotive office in Shanghai.
The company
ACPS Automotive is the market leader for towbars for cars, SUVs and vans. Its more than 140 patents worldwide are evidence of its technology and innovation leadership, with the company playing a significant role in shaping technological progress in the towbar sector. As a developer and manufacturer of transport solution technology, ACPS Automotive sets standards at its headquarters in Ingersheim and eleven locations worldwide. To the benefit of its customers – namely, the international automotive industry in the original equipment sector and companies in the aftermarket and retrofitting business. The towbars provide for especially safe and convenient connection between vehicles and caravans, bicycle racks, and boat and horse trailers in the private and commercial sector. ACPS Automotive has around 2,000 employees. It was established in 1955 near Stuttgart and is known under the ORIS brand. Annual sales of around €360 million were generated in 2022.
